Valve Criticized for Marketing a School Shooting Simulator

Valve Corporation recently came under fire after news of an upcoming school shooting simulator was released. Several concerned parents, some of whom lost their children in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, said that the game “desensitizes” teenagers to such tragedies.

School Shooting Simulator Accompanied by Disclaimer

The upcoming title is called “Active Shooter” and, according to developer Revived Games, it’s a SWAT-type simulator.

Players will be able to take sides – SWAT or shooter. Based on the player’s choice, he or she will either have to deal with an active shooter or rake up as much kills as possible before being taken into custody.

Disturbingly enough, when the players take the role of the shooter, they will need to plan their massacre in order to kill as many students or teachers before the SWAT team moves in.

Obviously, when news of Revived Games’ school shooting simulator hit the press, many have voiced their concern, accusing the developer and publisher of capitalizing on a tragedy such as Marjory Stoneman High School.

Acid, the game’s publisher, recently wrote in a blog post that “Active Shooter” does not promote violence and that the game shouldn’t be taken seriously.

More than that, the game’s Steam description is followed by a footnote which encourages players to seek professional help they feel like hurting people.

Acid added that given the game’s controversial side, it will think about removing the shooter part.

Conclusion

The school shooting simulator was slated for launch on June the 6th. However, given its negative impact, the publisher might be thinking about moving the launch date or canceling the game altogether.

Andrew Pollack, the father of Meadow Pollack, who was gunned down by Nikolas Cruz on the 14th of February, declared that Steam should really think twice before making the game available.

About Carol Harper

Carol Harper began her career as a screenwriter before turning to journalism. Before earning her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Creative Writing, Carol travelled across Europe and Asia to find both herself and inspiration. She enjoys covering health & science topics.